Social media is usually a cesspool of disgusting comments and hate, but it might be keeping St. Petersburg denizens of the downtown bar scene rash-free this weekend.
Yes, you read that right: rash-free.
The Pelican Pub — located at 18 2nd St. N., right next to Jannus Live — has voluntarily closed after “reports of a patron who developed a skin irritation, which may have occurred at our establishment.”
On Sunday, Rachael Renn took to social media to explain how she ended up in the emergency room because of a rash. “My legs are on fire & this started two days ago,” she wrote, adding that medical staff told her that she is the fifth case to arrive with similar symptoms. Renn claims that she probably got the rash after sitting on a bench at Pelican Pub.
WFTS said that State inspectors visited the bar on Tuesday “and found a live bed bug on the bench, one dead bed bug on the bench and one live palmetto bug on the floor, which was killed.”
The latest inspection came after the health department visited Pelican Pub last month following a similar complaint. Florida Department of Health public information official Maggie Hall told the TV station that the health department found that complaint to be invalid.
As of Wednesday morning, Renn’s Facebook post has been shared more than 1,000 times and updated to say that 70 other people have reported similar rashes after visiting Pelican Pub.
“Please contact me if you’d like to be added to our Facebook group. Keep spreading awareness by sharing this post,” Renn added. “This is preventable.”
On Facebook, the bar, which hopes to reopen on Thursday just in time for a funk concert from Here Come The Mummies, said it has contacted the Pinellas County Health department and pest control to look into the matter.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have voluntarily closed… to gather further information and address any possible issues,” Pelican Pub wrote. “We’ve been a part of the St. Petersburg community for going on 10 years now and those who come here aren’t just customers to us, they’re our neighbors, family, and friends and their safety and well-being is extremely important to us.”
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This article appears in Oct 24-31, 2019.